Karachi Zoo’s brown bear Rano heads to rehabilitation sanctuary in Punjab

After more than two decades of confinement at the Karachi Zoo, 24-year-old brown bear Rano has finally been freed from captivity and transported to Islamabad. She will be then shifted to a rehabilitation sanctuary in Punjab. 

Her rescue, made possible through coordinated efforts by wildlife authorities and activists, marks a significant step forward for animal welfare in Pakistan.

After spending years in isolation and distress, Rano, a 24-year-old female brown bear, has finally embarked on her journey to freedom. On Wednesday morning, she was airlifted from the Karachi Zoo to Islamabad under the supervision of wildlife experts.

From there, she will be relocated to the Balkasar Bear Sanctuary, where she will begin rehabilitation and receive proper care after years of neglect.

According to Sindh Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar, Rano was transported aboard a Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft, which departed Karachi at 8:30 am and landed at Nur Khan Airbase shortly after 11:30 am The bear was first moved to the Faisal Base in a sturdy wooden crate placed on a cargo pickup truck. 

Officials from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) confirmed that Rano entered the crate willingly, without sedation. “On just three calls, she walked out of her nightroom and into the crate,” said Sana Raja of the IWMB, adding that the bear appeared calm, well-fed, and showed no signs of distress during the process.

Mahar later shared that the team closely monitored Rano throughout the flight, noting that despite the roar of the aircraft’s engines, she appeared relaxed and even dozed off, perhaps catching up on years of lost sleep.

Upon arrival, technical staff at the Nur Khan Airbase assisted with her safe offloading before she was taken to the IWMB’s rehabilitation facility. This transition marks the first step toward a new life for Rano, far from the harsh confines she had endured for years.

For most of her life, Rano had been confined to deplorable conditions at the Karachi Zoo, first in a Victorian-era pit, then in a small, barren cage where she spent her days pacing endlessly on hard, worn-out flooring.

Her suffering prompted animal rights activists to approach the Sindh High Court (SHC), calling for her relocation to a sanctuary that could meet her physical and psychological needs.

Earlier this month, the SHC ordered her transfer to the Balkasar Sanctuary, Pakistan’s only dedicated bear rehabilitation center in Chakwal and formed a committee to oversee her safe relocation, including members of the IWMB who had earlier trained Rano for the move.

Animal welfare advocates have hailed Rano’s rescue as a symbol of hope. Mahera Omar, co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), emphasized that zoos fail to meet the complex behavioral and psychological needs of wild animals.

“Zoos must be phased out, and animals should be rehabilitated in species-specific sanctuaries,” she said. Omar further remarked, “Animals are not meant for our entertainment; they deserve to live freely in their natural habitats.” She added that Rano’s rescue serves as a beacon of hope for countless other animals still suffering silently in captivity across the country.